The Sound of Community: Harvey Cummings II

The lens of Jazz Appreciation Month shines a spotlight on the atmosphere we cultivate at Middle C Jazz. The camaraderie is palpable; employees frequent the same local spots, our “Baby Grands” and regulars know each other by name, and a night can almost feel like a gathering with friends. The breadth of artists and exceptional music across April alone is a reflection of the inclusive nature of jazz.

Featuring an artist as ingrained in Charlotte as Harvey Cummings II for our culminating performance is the definitive way to cap off the month. Cummings’ approach to jazz says it all: “the ultimate form of expression—taking an idea, adding it to others, and putting the puzzle pieces together to see where you can take it.”

To understand Cummings is to understand that jazz was never meant to be a museum piece. While the genre can be stifled by a reverence for “the greats,” Cummings treats tradition as a language spoken with a modern accent. He is a composer, saxophonist, and pianist, but more importantly, a translator of the contemporary soul.

Based in Charlotte, Cummings exists where the discipline of gospel, the grit of bebop, and the thump of hip-hop collaborate. In his hands, it feels like a conversation at a neighborhood gathering where the music moves seamlessly from a hymn to a street anthem without dropping a beat.

As an artist-citizen, Cummings knows the survival of jazz depends on its accessibility. As he describes it: “It’s Black American music gone worldwide… Jazz is the granddaddy.” By blending high-art sensibilities with the relatable cadences of R&B and soul, he invites a younger, more diverse demographic into the fold.

Ultimately, Harvey Cummings II recognizes the masters of the past, reaches through the landscape of the present, and forges a new path for his music. He isn’t trying to be the next Miles or Monk; he is the first Harvey Cummings. And that—the evolution of a community through sound—is exactly what jazz is meant to be.

Join us on Thursday, April 30th for International Jazz Day with Harvey Cummings II.

Article written by Middle C Jazz Marketing Support, Scott Homewood.